Research Summary: Exploratory profiles of theatre arts teachers in Latvia based on their orientations toward educational goals

A recent study in Latvia, published in Frontiers in Education, explored the profiles of theatre arts teachers to understand their orientations toward educational goals within the context of a new competence-based education reform. The research, conducted in 2023 with 63 teachers, aimed to identify patterns in how educators interpret aesthetic, social, and personal/cultural goals in theatre pedagogy through quantitative survey data and cluster analysis.

Why it matters

This research provides insights into how educational policy reforms, such as the introduction of new subjects and competence-based approaches, are interpreted and operationalized by teaching professionals. Understanding teacher orientations is crucial for effective implementation of curriculum changes and ensuring consistent educational outcomes across an institutional framework.

Key insights

• The study focused on theatre arts teachers in Latvia following the introduction of theatre arts as a subject under a new competence-based education reform.
• It sought to identify distinct profiles of these teachers based on their inferred orientations towards aesthetic, social, and personal/cultural educational goals.
• A quantitative survey design was utilized, employing a specialized questionnaire for theatre arts educators.
• Data was collected in 2023 from 63 theatre arts teachers operating in general education schools across Latvia.
• Cluster analysis, specifically TwoStep and hierarchical procedures followed by K-means, was used to examine the structure and number of teacher clusters.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1895758